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Love in bloom

[Woman]

I’m a rose of the Sharon plain,
        a lily of the valleys.

[Man]

Like a lily among thornbushes,
        so is my dearest among the young women.

[Woman]

Like an apple tree among the wild trees,
        so is my lover among the young men.
In his shade I take pleasure in sitting,
        and his fruit is sweet to my taste.
He has brought me to the house of wine;
        his banner raised over me is love.

Sustain me with raisin cakes,
        strengthen me with apples,
        for I’m weak with love!

His left arm is beneath my head,
        his right embraces me.

Make a solemn pledge, daughters of Jerusalem,
        by the gazelles or the wild deer:
Don’t rouse, don’t arouse love
        until it desires.

Listen! It’s my lover: here he comes now,
        leaping upon the mountains,
        bounding over the hills.
My lover is like a gazelle
        or a young stag.
Here he stands now,
        outside our wall,
        peering through the windows,
        peeking through the lattices.

10 My lover spoke and said to me,
“Rise up, my dearest,
        my fairest, and go.
11 Here, the winter is past;
        the rains have come and gone.
12 Blossoms have appeared in the land;
        the season of singing[a] has arrived,
        and the sound of the turtledove is heard in our land.
13 The green fruit is on the fig tree,
        and the grapevines in bloom are fragrant.
Rise up,[b] my dearest,
        my fairest, and go.
14 My dove—in the rock crevices,
        hidden in the cliff face—
        let me catch sight of you;
        let me hear your voice!
The sound of your voice is sweet,
        and the sight of you is lovely.”

15 Catch foxes for us—
        those little foxes
        that spoil vineyards,
        now that our vineyards are in bloom!

16 I belong to my lover and he belongs to me—
        the one grazing among the lilies.
17         Before the day breeze blows
        and the shadows flee,
    turn about, my love; be like a gazelle
        or a young stag
        upon the jagged mountains.[c]

Footnotes

  1. Song of Solomon 2:12 Or pruning
  2. Song of Solomon 2:13 LXX and Kethib add go; but Qere, DSS, Vulg, Syr, and Tg lack the verb; cf 2:10.
  3. Song of Solomon 2:17 Or upon the mountains of Bether; cf 8:14 mountains of spice

She[a]

I am a rose[b](A) of Sharon,(B)
    a lily(C) of the valleys.

He

Like a lily among thorns
    is my darling among the young women.

She

Like an apple[c] tree among the trees of the forest
    is my beloved(D) among the young men.
I delight(E) to sit in his shade,
    and his fruit is sweet to my taste.(F)
Let him lead me to the banquet hall,(G)
    and let his banner(H) over me be love.
Strengthen me with raisins,
    refresh me with apples,(I)
    for I am faint with love.(J)
His left arm is under my head,
    and his right arm embraces me.(K)
Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you(L)
    by the gazelles and by the does of the field:
Do not arouse or awaken love
    until it so desires.(M)

Listen! My beloved!
    Look! Here he comes,
leaping across the mountains,
    bounding over the hills.(N)
My beloved is like a gazelle(O) or a young stag.(P)
    Look! There he stands behind our wall,
gazing through the windows,
    peering through the lattice.
10 My beloved spoke and said to me,
    “Arise, my darling,
    my beautiful one, come with me.
11 See! The winter is past;
    the rains are over and gone.
12 Flowers appear on the earth;
    the season of singing has come,
the cooing of doves
    is heard in our land.
13 The fig tree forms its early fruit;(Q)
    the blossoming(R) vines spread their fragrance.
Arise, come, my darling;
    my beautiful one, come with me.”

He

14 My dove(S) in the clefts of the rock,
    in the hiding places on the mountainside,
show me your face,
    let me hear your voice;
for your voice is sweet,
    and your face is lovely.(T)
15 Catch for us the foxes,(U)
    the little foxes
that ruin the vineyards,(V)
    our vineyards that are in bloom.(W)

She

16 My beloved is mine and I am his;(X)
    he browses among the lilies.(Y)
17 Until the day breaks
    and the shadows flee,(Z)
turn, my beloved,(AA)
    and be like a gazelle
or like a young stag(AB)
    on the rugged hills.[d](AC)

Footnotes

  1. Song of Songs 2:1 Or He
  2. Song of Songs 2:1 Probably a member of the crocus family
  3. Song of Songs 2:3 Or possibly apricot; here and elsewhere in Song of Songs
  4. Song of Songs 2:17 Or the hills of Bether